It's been a while

Hey guys!

Geez! It has been quite a while since I posted an outfit post last.  I have been crazy CRAZY busy starting my new company.  I'm proud of how everything has turned out so far and I am in love with our merchandise.  I am going to try and incorporate it into my style posts from now on.  Having your own clothing store is like having one big fun closet of clothes to try on!

Here is what I have been doing lately:

Styling and photographing crazy awesome outfits for stylerevel.com.  I love our models- it's a fun job anyway but having fun models makes it 100 times better.

 I have been styling and photographing our lookbook shoots too.  Equally as fun.

I am super excited for our first Style Revel Party-- it's November 5 so don't miss it!  We have Tara from  mixmatchfashion.com.  Her collection is fabulous- I can NOT WAIT for everyone to see it.  

Things haven't been ALL work around here.  We brought Dave home with us-- which has made things pretty interesting around here. 

He's probably the craziest, spunkiest cat on the planet (hence the battle wound on his left ear--there is no telling how that one got there).  He keeps me company while I'm working in the office and Adam is at school.

Speaking of Adam-- I haven't shared any of our engagement pictures! Here are some of my favorites. Our photographer was Amelia Patterson- shes fab.

I can't wait to get married to that man.  He has been extremely patient with me through everything.  I have heard people say starting your own business is tough on a relationship bc you are literally married to your job.  It helps so much to be with someone who shows a genuine interest in what I am doing and supports me 100%.  If I'm negative, he is positive.  If I work until midnight, he doesn't mind.  If I can't get around to making dinner, he does it.  Blessed and blessed.

Ok... so on to my first Style Revel styled outfit!!  I chose my favorite dress from the site-- the checkmate dress--find it here. I love anything black and white right now and I REALLY love anything in a checkerboard pattern.  I love to mix prints and the elephant kimono(find it here) went perfectly.  The check is small enough for me to be able to pair the two.  Pattern mixing is always a good idea IF one of the patterns is subtle enough and if there is at least one color to link the two.  My boots are Jeffery Campbell- you can find them here. 

Sorry about the lack of posts-- I am going to do better from now on. Promise.  I am blogging over on the style revel blog as well. So follow there too!  Here is a link to my last post (link in photo)

Until next time,

Salsa Dancing in the Yard

Here is a fun wear to work style.  This would be good for a night out also.   This shirt is so fun-- it's by Dolce Vita.  The pants are from Forever 21 and the shoes are from Urban Outfitters.   Adam says this shirt reminds him of a salsa dancer-- he made me do a few moves in the back yard. (I'm sure our neighbors think we are lunatics- OH WELLLLL)  

I am going to take both of these pieces into fall, particularly the pants.  Black and white is going to be huge this upcoming season.  I always get super antsy when we are in the transitional phase in between seasons.  The new merchandise is coming in at the store-- the yummy sweaters, fabulous boots-- and I can't even THINK about wearing it yet in this Mississippi heat.  Patience is not my strongest attribute. 

Sunday Style

This is my Saturday/Sunday uniform- a knotted tee and boyfriend jeans.   It's the easiest, most comfortable thing you can wear and still look somewhat put together- in my opinion.  To make it look like you actually tried, put on some wedges and a rhinestone necklace.  I have been knotting everything this summer. The knotting is key in this outfit too-- with baggy boyfriend jeans your top needs to be tight or short so you don't look shapeless.

Tee and wedges: Libby Story  Jeans: Gap   

Have a fabulous week!

Work Wear

Here is a little bit different take on work wear.  I am crazy about pencil skirts and midi length skirts right now!  I have so many on my wish list for this Fall.  I don't work in a place where it's appropriate to look professional.   If you aren't careful, midi skirts can look dressy- which is fine, if that's what you are going for.  I have been dressing mine down with graphic tees.  This would be appropriate for office wear too if you put some sort of jacket over. 

Skirt: Forever 21  Tee: Urban Outfitters  Shoes: Urban Outfitters Belt: Vintage

Edgy Ease

My outfit for today is a tribal dress from Libby Story.  I put a denim sleeveless shirt over to give it a little something extra and threw on some combat boots.  Edgy and easy... my kind of outfit-- especially on a busy week like this one!  Happy Monday-- I hope everyone survives.

Neon

Summer is the easiest time to wear neon.  I like wearing pops of it all year round though.  This is a neon top form Libby Story and some southwestern stripe shorts from Forever 21.  The  necklace I got in New York from  a street vendor 4 years ago and I still absolutely love it.  It's funny the pieces you never get tired of are usually the ones you would least expect.  This piece gets comments every time I wear it.   The scarf on my head is from Libby Story also.  The girls won't have to look very hard to find me at work today, that's for sure!  Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

Who will you be?

Top: Mink Pink Skirt: Vintage Socks: Free People Shoes: Mia

This quote describes it perfectly.  Sometimes you just get this idea in your head and nothing else will do.  Who will you be today?

Mississippi Summer

 I have been wearing scarves in my hair so much this summer. It gets so hot in Mississippi wearing your  hair down in the summer is almost impossible. Scarves are a good way to make a hair updo look fun... they also make you look like you put a little more time into your look-- even if you really didn't.   This top is from Libby Story and the jeans are some old lady pants from the thrift store.  Scarf in my hair is vintage too.

Home

I went home this past weekend.  It's always a good feeling especially if I haven't gotten a chance to go back in a while.  It's so funny because sometimes when I go home I feel like a whole different person.  Perfect example, I can NOT drive to Yazoo City without putting a Jason Aldean song on in the car.  I don't listen to country music really any other time.  I never even noticed this about myself until Adam pointed it out.  It's funny how your significant other can show you things about yourself that you never would have realized.  Sometimes it's little things, like the song in the car, and sometimes it's bigger things-- things that are hard to hear at times.  They make you grow as a person though.. and they let you know that God brought that specific person into your life to show you these things and to help mold you into someone better.  

I love big cities-- the wide variety of people, things to see, and experiences that they can expose you to.  I value being open minded and I think the more people and places you see the more open minded you become.  But, there is something so wonderful about the south.  I wouldn't change being raised in a small Mississippi town for anything in the world.   There are the obvious reasons-- wide open spaces, good people, loads of history and heritage, sweet corn (and sweet tea), and a slower, unhurried feeling that makes everything feel more simple.  

There are so many other little things that make being southern so darn good.  My dad is a farmer.  I can't even imagine having a dad that came home in a suit every night-- not that wearing a suit is a bad thing-- but I think watching him work day in and day out with his hands for every single thing he has earned really taught me a lot.  He has been extremely successful and I owe my ambition to him..  When I find myself putting in extra hours at the store and a 40 hour work week turns into 60, I think about my dad's work week which, at times, is double that many hours.  

My brother is a farmer too.  He has a little boy that's almost two.  He already has a million toy tractors and surrounds himself with them all the time.  It makes my heart so happy to see how much he loves his daddy.  There are traditions and family values that grow in the south that aren't the same anywhere else.  I'm close to my family and I wouldn't change that for anything in the world.  I love having a mother who works in the garden, cans vegetables, and makes homemade pickles.  She also embodies a southern value that I think is one of the  most important  of all-- kind heartedness.  She will literally do anything for anybody.  I also don't ever have to worry about her judging me because she's just not that kind of person.  Something about her is so comforting-- I know, she's my mom so of course she's comforting to me-- but I don't think I feel like that just because she's my mom.  I think it's just how she is- she's accepting and comforting in this really wonderful way.  

I love being able to go home and catch up with my sister.  I love sitting on the back porch and watching my nephews run around. I love that I know every word to every George Jones song because I have heard them over and over ever since I can remember.  I love the sight of a cotton field that is ready to be picked.  I love southern hospitality and the manners that I have because of where I am from and the family that raised me.

I got this dress in New Orleans at a boutique called Hemline. I knew I had to have it when I saw it! I almost wore it in our engagement pictures because it's the perfect dress for wheat field pictures. I love anything that looks bohemian and is inspired by the 60's. I had to go snap a few pictures in it before we came back.  The wheat fields are indescribably beautiful.. One of those things you look at and know that God exists and that he loves us. 

I'm looking forward to moving somewhere new with Adam as we start our lives together.  I am excited about possibly being somewhere that my career in fashion can grow and flourish.  I know as we start our own small family, wherever we are together will be our home.   I hope wherever we end up-- our kids learn the same values and appreciate the quiet and the beauty of the south as much as I do.

Simplicity

I originally ordered this tulle skirt to wear in our engagement pictures.  I decided not too.. simply because it didn't end up working with the look we were going for.  I did run around in it for a little while on Sunday though.  Tulle is so whimsical.  Not to mention, it was a GORGEOUS day.  

I'm really looking forward to playing with this skirt and seeing what all I can do with it.  I know I will dress it down with graphic tees for work.  I do love it with just a simple top too.  This skirt is special enough to stand on it's own!

Mississippi Mud

SO.. I am finally getting around to wearing my new military vest! This is an army jacket from the thrift store that I ripped the sleeves off of.  I mentioned it in a previous post-- I got the patches for my DIY military tank from the sleeves of this jacket.    I love that this vest if really over sized and toughens up anything I put with it.  I will definitely be wearing it with really girly pieces, like lace dresses.  

Happy Friday!!!! Our engagement pictures are this Saturday so I EXTRA pumped about this particular weekend!  I'll post some sneak peeks at the end of the weekend!